Lonesome Stranger
by The Thorned Rose
Summary: Holly follows her dream to become a farmer and makes friends along the way. After being introduced to the town Doctor, she realizes that he could use a friend. Eventually he accepts her and they become friends, but could they become more? Or, will someone else steal her heart?
1. Chapter 1

'I've always dreamed of owning my own farm,' Holly thought as she looked down the road at her Uncle Hector's home. She left her parents' home three days ago when her father forbade her from being a farmer. It's not that he didn't love her; he just had some old ideals where a woman stayed home to take care of the family and the man was a breadwinner.

She didn't want that kind of life, so she called up her uncle Hector and decided to leave. She probably should have told her parents where she was going, but she knew that they would try to stop her if she did. So she left, with only her dear Uncle Hector knowing her secret.

They pulled up to Uncle Hector's farm and he pointed off into the distance, "There is an old farm house down the road that used to belong to your grandfather. Do you remember it?" he asked.

Holly nodded and replied, "Of course, some of my fondest memories were times were there. How has it fared over the years?"

Hector frowned and answered, "Not well, I am afraid. When grand pa became sick, grand pa tried to hide the fact that he was sick and needed assistance with the farm. By the time he finally admitted it, your father and I tried to help him, but it was just too much for us to handle. Your father had a family to care for and I had my own farm to run. It is pretty run down now."

"Don't worry Uncle Hector, I will fix it!" Holly said with determination.

Hector smiled and replied, "I know you will. You have your grandfather's spirit. But, I want you to remember that deal we made, I will help you get started and keep your secret, but eventually you have to tell your parents where you are. They are probably worried sick about you right now."

Holly nodded and replied, "I promise. I don't want to scare them, I just want to follow my dream. One of my favorite memories was picking strawberries with mama."

Hector helped her off the wagon and said, "I will bring you to your pawpaw's farm tomorrow. I have a few last-minute details to sort out. Afterwards, we can go out to dinner. It will also be a good way to introduce you to the town folks."

…

Holly nervously looked at herself in the mirror, she left her home in a hurry. So, the only clothing she had was an orange and red plaid dress and a pair of overalls. She wished she had something nicer to wear to meet the town folks, but this would have to do. She braided her hair and threw on a straw hat before meeting her Uncle outside his home.

When they arrived at the restaurant, Holly looked around the room, there was a woman sweeping, while a man cooked someone's dinner. An older man who she recognized as her grandfather's best friend Marco waved to her. The older man walked over and sat with them at the table. "Look at you, Holly! You are so grown up. Are you here to stay for a while?"

A blond man with a cowboy hat stepped through the door and distracted her for a moment. He was surrounded by girls and he was gorgeous... she turned her attention back to Marco and remembered his question, "I am taking over my grandpas farm. I can't wait to get my hands dirty."

The gorgeous blond with his gaggle of women walked up to the table and asked, "What is a delicate flower like you doing in Westown? You are much too beautiful to be from around these parts. Where are you from?" Before she could say anything, the blonde saw a friend walk in and waved him over, "Hey Ford, over here."

The man named Ford was wearing a purple shirt with a white lab coat. He was also very handsome, but in a different way. He seemed looked quiet and intelligent. Wayne yelled to him, "Ford, come meet the new filly in town!"

Ford walked up with a blank expression on his face and replied, "Clearly Wayne, we need to get your eyes checked." Ford bowed out of respect and continued, "Regardless Miss…I didn't catch your name. But, it's nice to meet you."

Holly smiled and answered, "My name is Holly. I am taking over my grandpa's farm."

Ford looked her over skeptically, "You seem a bit scrawny to be running a farm by yourself. You will probably struggle until you build up muscle mass and endurance. However, feel free to drop in my clinic if you ever get ill on the job. My prices are fair."

She felt mildly insulted, but she sensed he wasn't much of a people's person, so she let it slide, "Thank you for the offer."

The doctor nodded and Wayne tipped his hat, "We will see you later beautiful. Try not to miss us," he said as he left with a wink. As they moved to another table, Holly overheard Ford ask, "Was all that really necessary Wayne?"

Wayne lowered his voice and she could no longer hear him.

…

Wayne and Ford were walking towards the clinic for an evening cup of decaf. Ford poured them each a cup and asked, "Why did you introduce me to that girl tonight?"

"She is going to be one of your patients now," Wayne explained.

Ford gave him a look of disbelief and replied, "If that was why, you never would have made that kind of spectacle at the Garden Grill."

Wayne smiled and replied, "You're right, she is just a beautiful new girl in town. I talked to her uncle the other day, he was planning her arrival, and he just happened to mention that she is single."

Ford rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "I've told you this a thousand times, I am married to my job. I don't have time to worry about women."

"All I hear right now are excuses. But if you aren't interested in her, I might take her out one night," Wayne replied.

…

Holly was growing tired so she finished her meal and bid her uncle good night. She made her way towards the exit and waved goodbye to the new friends she made that night. Carrie and Brad the owners of the Garden Grill gave her a free meal to celebrate her arrival. Brad mentioned a few places nearby that were great for fishing and mining. Once she finished setting up her first garden, she was determined to go out and explore.

…

The next morning, she found her uncle setting up the wagon. Today was the day! She ran outside excitedly and hopped in the wagon.

A few miles down the road, Grandpa's home came into view, but it was much more run down than she remembered. The paint had all peeled off the exterior of the home and the front porch was so old it creaked. As Holly stepped into the home, she realized that it was not much better. The paint on the inside was all flaked away as well and there was very little furniture. Only a bed, table, book case, and a few storage chests were indoors. There wasn't even a kitchen or bathroom!

Now that she thought back, her grandpa always used to roast veggies, wieners, and stuff around a campfire when she came in town. She always thought he did it because he liked smores. But she now knew that was his only way to cook.

"Well, how do you like it?" Hector asked.

Holly faked a smile and said, "It's great Uncle, thank you."

Uncle Hector saw past her smile and replied, "You know, the next town over there is a guy name Ludas who does home renovations. After you get a little money rolling in, maybe he can help you fix it up."

"That would be wonderful," Holly said with a little more enthusiasm.

"Alright then, I have brought you a few packs of seeds and a few farming tools to help you get started. They are in your tool chest, whenever you are ready. There is also a little money for food until you get on your feet." Hector said as he started towards the door.

Holly turned around and ran to give him a hug before he left. "Thank you, Uncle Hector," she said.

…

Holly grabbed her tools and started to head out her home when she saw Dr. Ford walking towards her home. She waved and walked up to greet him, "Good morning Dr. Ford, what brings you here today?" she asked.

"I came to ask if you know anything about these?" Ford said as he pulled out an animal trap.

Holly blinked in surprise and replied, "What about them?"

Ford stiffened and said, "I have found them in various places across town and I was wondering if they were yours? If they are, I wanted to ask you to take them down. We have children in this town and I don't want to see them get hurt."

Holly shook her head and replied, "Well, they aren't mine, but I will try to keep my eyes open for them. I don't want to see anyone get hurt either. I can't imagine who would be cruel enough to use such a device. It has teeth for God's sake."

Ford nodded and thanked her before he left.

…

Holly dusted her hands off. It was late in the afternoon after she finished planting all the seeds. She quickly watered them and went to a nearby pond to clean herself up. She looked around to make sure no one was near before she striped her clothes off and stepped into the pond. The water was cool on her achy muscles. Her eyes were closed, taking in the soothing feeling when she heard something move. She opened her eyes and saw a man with blue hair staring at her.

She shrieked and grabbed her dress from the side of the pond to cover herself. "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?!"

The man with blue hair stumbled backwards slightly and said, "I'm here to see you… I mean…What I mean is, your Uncle told me that you needed your home renovated. Oh my god, I didn't mean to come at a time like this though…I'm so sorry."

"Fine, you know where the house is. Go there and I will meet you when I am decent," she replied looking annoyed.

"I will see you there," he said as he hurried away.

…

When she was fully dressed, she walked back to the farm to find the man with blue hair evaluating her home. He appeared to have gotten over their awkward encounter, but she was still feeling shaky. Despite this feeling she put up an act and asked, "Alright, who are you? And, what needs to be done?"

He had jotted down some notes and said, "The name is Ludas, I am a carpenter from Lulukoko Village. For now, we are going to need to do two upgrades. The first one will be a kitchen. I am assuming it is getting expensive buying your meals at the restaurant?" She nodded and he continued, "The second upgrade will have a…" his face turned red, "…a bathroom and a closet. I can do more upgrades after that, but for now these are the most necessary."

Ludas looked at her and could tell that she was embarrassed, "Look, I know that we met under strange conditions, and I would like to redeem myself. I hope that we can look past this and become friends. How about I give you a discount on your first upgrade. It will be 5000G. I can get it done today even, if you would like."

Holly shook her head, "I don't have the money today, but I should have enough in a couple weeks. How about we talk about it then?"

Ludas nodded, "That will be fine. And once again, I am very sorry…"

"Let's just forget it ever happened," Holly concluded.

Ludas nodded and said, "Alright, See ya later."

…

The next morning, holly took care of her plants and went over to check out some of the run-down farm buildings. There was a barn and a chicken house. They were actually in decent condition; however they were small and only large enough to hold one animal in each of them. It wasn't much, but it would be large enough to get her started.

She then walked into town, hoping to get a bite to eat. Unfortunately, she was about to bite off more than she could chew. She entered the Garden Grill and was greeted by Uncle Hector, Brad, and Wayne warning her, "Get out while you still can."

Carrie walked in at that moment, "Oh great, Holly come try my new pastry I made."

"Too late," brad mumbled.

Carrie gave him a dirty look and asked, "What was that dear?"

"Nothing sweet heart, I am just so excited to try your new poison….I mean pastry," Brad replied with great insincerity.

Hesitantly, Holly sat next to Wayne. Carrie placed a plate in front of her and said, "Dig in sweetie, I can't wait to see your face!"

Holly picked up her fork and saw that the other three were waiting on her to try, 'traitors,' she thought to herself, 'maybe they are just exaggerating.'

She took a bite and her face turned green as she swallowed, "It taste…remarkable. One must certainly remark on it." She forced herself to eat another bite, but she simply couldn't take it, "In a completely unrelated note, I am not feeling very well. Can one of you guys bring me to the doctor?"

"I'll do it," all of the guys at the table screamed.

Wayne ran out the door with her before the other guys could leave. He let out a huge breath and said, "let's go."

…

Ford was watering his garden at the clinic when he saw Wayne making his way up towards the clinic with Holly. She looked extremely pale and weak. Ford placed down his watering can and said, "Get her inside." When he followed them in, he asked them what happened. Wayne explained the whole story and Ford irritably said, "You let her take another bite! You know Carrie's cooking is lethal!"

He then grabbed a few herbs and started to grind them with his mortar and petal. He turned towards the two and said, "For future reference Holly, if you see Carrie anywhere near a stove, run. Hector and Brad will probably be here too within a few minutes. He poured the mixture into a pot of water and waited for it to come to a boil."

Holly laid down on the bed, feeling dizzy and mumbled, "The cake actually burned on the way down."

"What type of cake was it supposed to be?" Ford asked.

Wayne's face paled and he replied, "Peppermint."

Ford shook his head, "Carrie is a nice girl, but I wonder where her brain is some days. I am willing to bet that she put peppers and mints in the cake, instead of peppermint. How the hell did she end up marrying a chef?"

Ford chuckled slightly as he heard Holly mumble, "As a means of survival."

"That would be the most logical explanation." he commented. He poured her a coffee cup of the mixture and handed it to her, "Here, this should fix you up in no time.' At that moment, Brad and Hector arrived and he said, "Come on guys, I made enough for you too."

…

Holly still felt uncomfortable when she left, but the burning pain in her stomach started to calm. She went to bed early that night, hoping that she would be well by morning.

…

The next morning Holly heard knock on her door. She went to answer it and saw Carrie holding a wicker basket on her doorstep. Carrie looked upset so Holly immediately invited her in. "What brings you all the way out here Carrie?" Holly asked as she closed the door behind her.

"Oh Holly, I am just so upset that I got you sick yesterday. My husband told me what happened and how you were trying to be polite by eating my cake. I didn't mean to make you sick. I just never felt like I was a good wife, because I can't cook," Carrie explained.

Holly smiled and replied, "It's fine Carrie. I feel much better now, and there is more to being a wife that cooking. I can tell that you truly love Brad unconditionally and he feels the same way about you. That's what matters."

Carrie smiled and said, "Thank you, Holly. Your good heart will make a man very happy one day. I brought some cookies and milk to repay you for your kindness."

"Oh, That's REALLY not necessary," Holly countered

Carrie started to laugh and replied, "Don't worry, Brad made them. Not me."

Holly smiled and accepted the basket, "Would you like to join me then?"

Carrie shook her head no and answered, "I have to get back to the restaurant. But thank you for being so kind."

As Carrie exited, Holly noticed someone else in the distance, "Dr. Ford, how nice it is to see you. Would you like to come in?"

"Thank you, but it would be improper for me to enter a lady's home without another person present. I just came to see if you are feeling better," Ford explained.

Holly smiled, "I am feeling much better, thanks to you. Are you sure you don't want to come in, Brad sent over some cookies?"

"No, Thank you. Since you are doing well, I will be on my way. I need to find some wild herbs for my medicines anyway." Ford replied.

…

As Ford left the walked back toward the city, he noticed a bush had moved. "Alright Wayne, come out," he said knowingly.

Wayne on command came out of the bush, "I knew you liked her," he said.

Ford rolled his eyes, "That's preposterous, I was just checking up on her. After all, she was really sick yesterday."

Wayne wagged his finger and teased, "Since when did you do house calls?"

"Since always," Ford said, "Now drop it. I have more important things to do than fret about a woman."

"Unfortunately, I have some mail to deliver, so I will drop it…For now…" Wayne replied.

…


	2. Chapter 2

Holly, looked out into her fields and saw her first crops were ready to harvest. She excitedly went out to the fields to pick her turnips. As she picked them she was calculating approximately how much money she would make from the harvest. Once she got paid, she would check out what seeds were available at the general store and put what was left into saving for her first renovation.

…

Wayne sat at the counter of the Garden Grill with Brad. He was describing Ford's interactions with the new girl Holly to see if he too thought that Ford might be gaining feelings for her. Brad contemplated, "Well, it certainly is out of the ordinary for Ford to do this kind of thing, but I wouldn't say it is definitive of him having feelings for her. Maybe you should do stuff to get the two together and see what happens."

"Well the Goddess Festival is coming up, maybe we can convince Ford to tell her about it…Not ask her out on a date… we both know he won't do that. But, simply convince her to come to the event," Wayne suggested.

Brad thought about it and said, "That's not a bad idea. We can even go a step further and ask Marco's friend, Megan to ask for us. If an elder asks, he won't suspect our involvement and he will be more inclined to do it."

"That's a great idea Brad. I will go ask Megan now," Wayne said excitedly.

…

The next day, Ford was working on creating a new medicine, when he realized that he was out of Magnesium. He decided to go to the general store to place an order for the mineral. When he got there, he greeted the shop keep Miranda, "Morning Miranda, how is Noel doing?"

Miranda smiled, "She is doing wonderful. She just won her class spelling bee. What can I do for you today?"

Ford nodded and was about to ask for the magnesium when Megan came down the stairs, "Ford, I thought I heard you. Can I ask you a favor?"

Ford bowed out of respect and replied, "What do you need Megan? Is your back acting up again?"

"No Ford, my back is fine. But, I am awfully tired today. I had planned on inviting that new girl…hailey…I think…to the Goddess Festival. Unfortunately, I just feel too run down today to do it . Would you invite her for me?" Megan asked.

"Actually, her name is Holly. And sure, I can invite her. When is it again?" He asked.

"It's in two days," she winked at him and continued, "If you ask her nicely, she might even honor you with a dance."

Ford rolled his eyes and replied, "And miss out on a chance to dance with the Westtown heart throb, Wayne, I highly doubt it."

Ford then ordered his magnesium and left the shop.

Ford then made his way toward Holly's farm. Ford found Holly working diligently in her fields. She was working so hard, she didn't even notice his arrival until she saw his shoes next to where she was working. She looked up and greeted, "Hello Dr. Ford," she wiped some mud off her face with the back of her wrist and asked, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Ford suddenly became nervous, he suddenly felt like he was asking her on a date. Would she get the wrong idea if I asked? Ford shook his head, regardless of what she thought, he promised Megan that he would invite her. "The town elder, Megan, was not feeling well today and asked me to invite you to the upcoming festival. The Goddess festival is a celebration of the Harvest Goddess. The whole town gathers to eat pizza and dance. Would you like to come?" Ford asked.

Holly nodded and replied, "It sounds like fun. Sure, I will come."

"Great, I will see you soon then," He said as he waved goodbye.

Holly dusted off her hands and walked to the pond to clean herself up. She looked at her reflection in the pond water and wondered, "What am I going to wear?"

…

The next day, Holly headed into town. She hoped to buy a nice dress to wear to the festival. She entered the General store and greeted Ms. Miranda for the second time that week, "Morning Miranda, do you sell clothes?"

"I sure do, what are you looking for?" Miranda asked.

"I just wanted something different to wear to the festival tomorrow. I will likely be meeting the rest of the town, and I want to make a good impression," Holly stated.

Miranda frowned, "Well, I won't be able to have the outfit done by tomorrow. I sew them myself. However, Lisette might have something you could borrow. Let me go ask her."

Miranda walked her next door and explained the situation to Lisette. Lisette smiled at Holly and said, "Actually, I have a dress that I bought, but it just doesn't fit right. Maybe it will fit you. If it does, you can have it."

Holly looked hopeful as Lisette pulled a light blue dress out of her closet. "It's beautiful," Holly commented, "Are you sure you don't want it anymore?"

"If it fits you keep it. I have tons of dresses," Lisette answered. Holly stepped into the bathroom to try on the dress. It fit perfectly, she looked at herself in the mirror and was surprised at how pretty it looked on her. She stepped out the room and Lisette squealed, "That dress was made for you honey!" She then started to play with her hair and said, "Why don't you wear your hair down tomorrow? Without these braids, you have such beautiful curls." Holly looked back into the mirror and nodded.

…

The next morning, Holly started to get dressed. She pulled down her curls like Lisette suggested when she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door to find Wayne standing on her porch.

Wayne took off his hat at the sight of her. "Good Morning Holly, you are too pretty for words today. I was wondering if you needed a ride to the festival?" he said as he pat his horse slightly on the side.

"That sound's great, I am not quite sure where the festival is located anyway. Ford told me, but I have a terrible sense of direction. Do you mind waiting a couple minutes for me to finish getting ready?" Holly asked.

Wayne smiled and said, "I always have time to wait for a lady." When she went back inside Wayne mentally cheered, Ford actually invited her. Now it was time to initiate step 2. He was going to bring Holly to the festival to make Ford jealous and hopefully cause Ford to make a move on her.

"I'm ready," Holly said as she came out the door.

On the ride over, Wayne made small talk. He wanted to find out if she had any interest in Ford. After all, he didn't want to go through all this to get Ford to ask her out, only to get turned down. "So, what do you think about my best friend Ford? He's a pretty cool guy, huh?"

Holly answered casually, "He's a little quiet, but sweet. I am kind of surprised that he isn't married. He seems like an honest and loyal man. You definitely chose a good person to be best friends with."

Wayne's eyes opened in surprise, he wasn't expecting such an elaborate answer, but he was appreciating it at the moment.

They pulled up to the party and as expected, Ford was there early. He watched Wayne help Holly down from the horse. Ford crossed his arms, 'Typical, Wayne swoops in with flowery words and steals her heart.' He looked her over, she was wearing a new baby blue dress with a white apron on top. Her hair was in curls and she wore her signature straw hat with it. She looked gorgeous. Ford suddenly felt self-conscious. He knew he could never win her heart over his best friend. He turned away from the scene and decided to avoid her.

Holly noticed that Ford seemed to be scarce. She tried to speak to him several times, and he found an excuse every time.

The town shared the pizza and Holly seemed pretty bummed out. Wayne had watched the two the whole evening. Maybe he had gone too far by asking Holly to ride with him. He approached Ford and said, "Hey buddy, what are you doing?"

In a hollow voice Ford answered, "Nothing, just enjoying the pizza."

Wayne nudged his friend and said, "You know, the party is almost over and you haven't asked Holly to dance. I know she wanted to dance with you. Why don't you go ask her?"

"Holly came with you, why don't you go ask her," Ford replied in a slightly bitter tone.

"Came with me?" Wayne said as he pointed to himself, "Oh no, she is new here so I knew she would have a hard time finding this place. I simply gave her a ride. There is nothing going on between us."

Ford looked mildly surprised, "Oh," he said, "And you think she might want to dance with me?"

"I know she does. She said so on the ride over," Wayne answered with a white lie.

Ford thought about asking her, but he was scared to. After all, he never asked a woman to dance before. He saw her approach the two of them and his heart started to beat faster. Was she going to ask him?

She looked up at the two and said, "Wayne, I am going to head home, but I wanted to thank you for the ride."

Wayne nervously said, "Wait a second Holly, Ford was about to ask you to dance."

Holly's face turned red, "Well then, he shouldn't have ignored me all day today." She walked past the two feeling angry that Ford would even bother invite her if he wasn't going to talk to her.

Ford realized what just happened and felt crushed. She really did want to spend the festival with him and he just ignored her. He ran after her and stopped in front of her. "Holly, please at least let me walk you home. I can explain my poor behavior tonight."

She nodded and started to walk.

Ford took a deep breath, "I thought you were on a date with Wayne when I saw you two ride in together. Wayne is my best friend and I didn't want to interrupt his date with you. That is why I ignored you tonight. Holly, I am very sorry for how I treated you and I would like to make it up to you… If you will let me." She nodded and he continued, "I was planning on cooking a vegetable lasagna at the clinic tomorrow. It is one of my favorite dishes and I always make too much, would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow?"

"That sound's nice," she replied. Now at the farm house she told him goodbye and walked into the house. She wondered if he really was going to ask her to dance earlier, but knew that it was too late to worry about it.

…

After gathering her turnips this morning, she decided to plant some potatoes and strawberries in her field as well. She was starting to get the hang of growing crops and wanted to branch out. After sowing her seeds in the ground and watering her plants, she decided to clean herself up in the river before she headed towards Ford's clinic. She grabbed her nice blue dress and walked towards the pond. She was excited to have dinner with Ford, so she washed up quickly. Pulling on her dress and boots she walked over to glance at her reflection when she heard a loud snap. Suddenly her foot was in severe pain and she looked down to see her ankle was caught in an animal trap. She saw the blood and started to feel sick. She let out a scream and quickly fell into oblivion.

…

Ford paced back in forth in his clinic. Dinner was ready half an hour ago. 'Where is she,' he wondered, 'Maybe she changed her mind about coming.' Feeling remorseful, he decided to put away the dinner he had cooked, no longer feeling hungry. He then blew out the candle and decided to go to bed early. He knew he should have just focused on his career.

…

Wayne was on his way back from a delivery in Lulukoko, when he saw someone asleep near the pond. Curious, he walked over to investigate and saw Holly. He was slightly amused that she chose here to take a nap. So, he dismounted his horse and walked over to wake her. "Wakey Wakey Holly, you were supposed to have a date with Ford, remember?" He said to her. When she didn't move, he took a closer look at her. Her face was pale and sweaty. He shook her gently and when she didn't wake up, he realized something was wrong. "I need to get you to Ford," he said to no one in particular as he tried to pick her up. That was when he realized her boot was caught in an animal trap, which was attached by a heavy chain on a nearby tree. He tried to pull her boot off but quickly realized that was doing more damage when she yelled out in her sleep. Without any more ideas, he hopped on his horse and sped off to Ford's.

…

When he arrived at Ford's clinic, he started banging frantically at the door. When Ford finally made it to the door, it was clear he was in a sour mood. "Someone better be dying for you to wake me like this," Ford said irritably.

Wayne replied, "No, Holly she…"

"Yeah, I know she stood me up. Did you really come by to remind me of this?" Ford asked.

Wayne's face turned red, "No asshole, she's hurt. I need your help."

Ford's demeaner changed instantly. He grabbed his bag before saying, "Let's go."

Ford was not used to riding on a horse so he was nervous the entire ride. Especially since Wayne was pushing the horse to go as fast as he could. As they approached the pond, Ford's face drained when he saw her. He jumped off the horse before Wayne could stop and ran over to her. He tried to pry the device's teeth off her boot, but the trap was too strong. "Come over here and see if you can help me pry this open," he instructed Wayne. Once again, the trap was just too strong.

Ford had to come up with something quickly, she was losing a lot of blood. "Wayne, go see if she has an axe. It won't be able to pry the trap off, but we can at least cut the chain off the tree and bring her to the farm house." Wayne did as he was told while Ford checked her vitals. 'If I can get her leg free, she will be okay,' he told himself feeling inadequate at the moment. He held her hand and silently prayed for her.

Wayne came back with the axe and Ford gently moved her leg as far away from the tree as the trap would allow. "Cut the chain's," he ordered Wayne, "And, for the love of God don't miss!" Wayne Carefully but forcefully swung her axe and severed the chains.

They both let out a breath and Wayne said, "All three of us are not going to fit on the horse. You need to take her. I will meet you there."

"I can't drive a horse," Ford argued.

"And, I can't perform an operation. Which of these do you feel is more hazardous to her health," Wayne countered.

Ford shuttered at the thought of Wayne trying to sew stitches and replied, "Valid point," before taking the reins. Before he left he said, "You might want to let her uncle know what happened."

He then took off towards her farm. He laid her across the bed and looked around for a face rag to clean the blood off her boot. He needed to take a closer look at the wound. He put a pot of water on to boil, but he couldn't find a rag. So, he took off his lab coat and ripped a piece of that off. He placed the scrap into the pot to sterilize before cleaning her boot. The contraption's teeth dug into both her boot and her heel. He knew that he didn't have the strength to open it with his hands so he looked for a weak spot in the trap's design. He noticed there were two screws on the side and wondered if those would break the trap.

Hector walked in with his tool kit at that moment and saw Ford working on her. Ford signaled for Hector to come over and said, "take out these screws." Hector did as he was told and Ford let out a breath of relief as he saw the trap fall off. As carefully as he could, he slid the boot off her foot. She whimpered in her sleep and he realized that she would be gaining consciousness very soon. Once the boot was completely off he saw just how deep the teeth had made it into her skin. If she wasn't wearing her boots when this happened, it would have cut her to the bone.

Ford's face turned red with rage. He turned to Wayne and Hector to said, "She is going to be fine. But, I want you to find out who placed these traps. It is bad enough that this happened to Holly, but this could have been a child!"

As Hector and Wayne left, the doctor pulled out some supplies he needed to stitch her foot back up. As he was digging for his needle, he heard a groan and looked up to see Holly was conscious. She looked down at her ankle and turned pale. The doctor handed her a bottle and she asked, "What is this?"

"Alcohol, it will numb the pain some while I stitch your foot up." He informed.

She took a swig from the bottle and shivered, it burned as it went down her throat. "Gross," she said as she placed the top back on the bottle.

The doctor chuckled as he stitched up her foot and replied, "You're not much of a drinker I see."  
She shook her head and he continued, "That's a good thing. My mother was an alcoholic and her addiction accidentally caused her to set our home on fire. She was also a bit of a hoarder, so the house was devoured in a matter of minutes." His eyes as he talked about his mother showed great sadness.

"I'm sorry," Holly said, not really knowing how to react. "Why do you use alcohol after it caused you so much pain?" she asked.

Ford looked up at her and answered, "I use it to sterilize my tools and in accidents like this, it comes in handy. I don't like having it in my home, but I also don't buy it unless I need it." He finished stitching up her foot and said, "take it easy for a few days. You don't want to that to heal improperly."


	3. Chapter 3

Story of seasons 3

Ford watched her as she rested, he didn't want to leave her unsupervised, and have her fall. Hector had told him that her family was coming in town to help her. When he heard a knock on the door, he saw a man standing outside. "Can I help you?" Ford asked.

"Who the hell are you? And, where's my daughter?" the man asked as he walked past Ford straight to Holly.

It took a couple seconds before he realized that this was Holly's father. Ford cleared his throat and replied, "My name is Ford. I am the town Doctor. Your daughter stepped on an animal trap someone carelessly left by the lake."

Holly woke up and saw her father standing over her. Her face went white before she greeted, "Hey daddy…What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you home," he said as he roughly grabbed her shoulder.

"No dad, I am not coming with you. I am not going to quit just because you don't think I have what it takes to be a farmer. This is what I want with my life." Holly argued.

Ford stopped him and said, "Sir, with all due respect, she is not well enough to travel. She can't put any weight on her foot."

"If she is in no condition to travel, then she is in no condition to work on a farm. Holly you need to forget this ridiculous fantasy of yours. How do you expect to run a farm when you can't even walk right now?" her father asked.

Holly frowned and answered, "Dad, if you didn't come to help me, then just leave."

"Atleast I know you're not dead," he muttered as he stormed out angrily and slammed the door behind him. Holly nervously started to play with her hair and said, "I'm sorry you had to see that Ford. He's not always like this, he just never liked the idea of me being a farmer."

Ford shook his head, "There is no need to apologize…If you want, I could help you with your farm for a few days while you heal." After the words came out of his mouth, he silently asked himself, 'What am I thinking? I don't know anything about farming?'

Holly looked up at him hopefully, "You have no idea how much I would appreciate that. I mainly need help with watering the crops. They only need to be watered once a day, so if you could do that in your free time, that would be wonderful."

The doctor nodded and said, "Since you are in no condition to be moved and your dad won't help you here, I am going to have to stay with you for a few days. As soon as Wayne gets back, I am going to run over to my clinic to grab a few things. Please don't try to get up while I am gone."

"Where are you going to sleep?" she asked curiously as she looked around the room.

"Wayne has a sleeping bag I can borrow," Ford answered. As if on cue Wayne stepped in. "Did you find out who set the traps?"

Wayne shook his head and replied, "No, Miranda said that a man from out of town ordered them. She couldn't remember his name, but said he had strange hair."

Ford frowned and asked, "Could you stay with her while I grab some things from the clinic?"

Wayne nodded and replied, "Sure, wasn't her parents supposed to come help her?" Holly cringed and Wayne knew he needed to change the subject. "Never mind that, take as much time as you need Ford. I will watch over her."

….

Wayne sat back in a chair. Holly had fallen asleep shortly after Ford has left. He assumed that whatever Ford gave her for pain, put her to sleep. Wayne knew that Ford had feelings for Holly. Ford was just too cautious to take action. Wayne decided to make it his mission to get these two together.

…

Ford eventually returned with some clothes, Wayne's sleeping bag, and the lasagna that he had cooked earlier. When he placed the lasagna on the table, Holly's eyes lit up. With all the chaos of the day, she almost forgot that Ford had cooked for her. She smiled and Ford asked, "Wayne, would you like to stay and eat some. I know you didn't eat yet."

Wayne thought about it but he decided against it. "Thanks, but Megan actually sent over some pasta for me tonight. So, I will see you two later."

Holly tried to sit up as Ford brought a plate of lasagna over, but her arms were just too weak to support her body at the moment. Ford noticed her failed attempt to sit up and placed her plate back down on the table so he could help her sit up in the bed. He placed his arms underneath hers and instructed, her to use her good leg to move herself up. With his help, she managed to sit up. He placed the plate in her lap and went to sit at the table.

Holly took a few bites from her food, but was unable to finish her plate. She was just too tired from blood loss. Ford watched her carefully, he wanted to speak to her but was unable to think of anything that wasn't medically related. It wasn't long before she fell asleep with her plate in her lap. Ford took the plate from her and scraped the remnants into the trash. He then checked her vitals again, before setting up his sleeping bag and going to sleep.

…

The next morning, Ford woke up to the sound of sniffling. He looked up and saw Holly in tears. When she saw him sit up, she said, "I'm sorry Ford. I didn't mean to wake you. But, this really hurts."

Ford stood up and walked over to her bedside. He sat down on the bed and moved the blanket to look at her ankle. It was an angry red looking color. "It looks like there is a slight infection. I am going to clean it again and get you both a topical and a pill antibiotic. What time does Wayne normally get here to deliver the mail?"

Holly looked at the clock on the wall and said, "He should be here within the hour."

Ford nodded and continued, "I am going to clean it now. When he gets here, I will get him to keep an eye on you while I am gone."

Holly crossed her arms, "I will be fine. I can take care of myself for an hour or so."

Ford looked up at her and thought about it before saying, "I would really prefer if we waited. Here lets start cleaning this again."

Ford took off his lab coat, knowing that Holly didn't have any towels. He folded it and placed it under her ankle. He grabbed the bottle of alcohol and poured it directly onto the injury.

Holly let out an agonizing scream and tried to move her leg away but Ford was holding it still. As the stinging started to calm she asked, "What the hell Ford? Do you realize how much that hurts?"

Ford said in an unmoved demeanor, "Would you rather lose your foot from a bad infection?"

Holly laid her head back in frustration and tried to remain calm.

Ford saw Wayne and another man through the window. He stood up from her bedside and opened up the door to call Wayne inside.

Wayne and the other man walked inside. "Ludas, what are you doing here?" Holly asked.

Ford was surprised she knew this guy. He didn't seem to be from around Westtown. He silently wondered if Holly was in a relationship with this guy.

Wayne pushed Ludas and said, "Go on, cough it up," with an annoyed look on his face.

Ludas gave Wayne a dirty look and said, "Holly, I…I'm the one who placed the traps. I am so sorry. I didn't know you would get hurt."

Ford's face turned red with anger, "What were you thinking? There are children that play near that pond."

"I just wanted to catch some foxes and rabbits for fur. There fur doesn't sell for much right now, but if I save it for the winter, I will make a small fortune." Ludas explained.

Holly looked disappointed and said, "I forgive you Ludas, but please take down all those traps. I don't want anyone to get hurt like this again."

Ludas nodded and replied, "I will. I promise."

Ford turned to Wayne and said, "I need to get some medicine from my clinic, can you stay with her.

Ludas volunteered, "I'll do it."

Ford glared at him and replied, "I rather you not. I don't trust anyone who would use such a cruel trapping device."

Ludas crossed his arms, he really didn't like this doctor. He looked over to Holly and decided to leave when he saw how red her foot was. "I'll see you later Holly," he said before storming out the door.

Wayne sat down at the table and said, "Go get what you need Ford. I will hold things down here."

Ford nodded, grabbed his wallet, and left.

…

While Wayne waited he talked with Holly. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm in a lot of pain, but Ford has been taking care of me, so I will be okay." She answered.

"That's good. Ford, doesn't have many friends because he is a little different. I am glad to see he seems to have warmed up to you. He will never admit this, but I know he is lonely," Wayne told Holly.

Holly became quiet, she didn't know how to respond because without her family, she felt lonely too.

Holly looked up at Wayne and replied, "I am glad to have met him. Really, everyone in this town has been so kind to me…I am not used to this kind of treatment."

Wayne smiled softly and replied, "Get used to it. You are one of us now."

…

Ford looked through his many cabinets of medicine and couldn't seemed to find the topical antibiotic ointment. Without any other options, he grabbed the pill form and decided to pay Mirabelle a visit. The bell above the shop door rang signaling his entrance.

Mirabelle came out from the backroom with a bright smile, "Good Morning Ford. How can I help you?"

"I was wondering if you could order me some more of that topical antibiotic ointment?" Ford asked.

Mirabelle nodded and said, "Certainly, just let me check in the back to see if I have any left first"

While he waited, he looked around the store and saw a pair of brown boots on display. The boots had flowers embroidered up either side. As Mirabelle came back without the cream and started to write the medicine on her order form, Ford asked, "How much for the boots?"

Mirabelle looked surprised and replied, "200G. If you are interested in them I can order them in any size… Do you have a girlfriend now Ford?"

Ford's eyes got big and he replied, "Uhhh no, I was just thinking of bringing my niece a pair for her birthday… I should go Mirabelle. I will see you later."

Mirabelle thought about what he said and thought, 'I didn't even know he had a sister…now he has a niece?' She shrugged her shoulders and went back to work.

Before Ford returned back to the farm, he stopped by the grill to pick up some breakfast for the three of them.

Brad greeted Ford and talked to him a bit while he cooked. "I heard that new girl Holly got hurt by the lake. Is she doing any better."

"I am not at liberty to give this information Brad. You know that," Ford replied.

Brad nodded and chuckled slightly, "I figured you would say that. Anyway, I hope Holly, Wayne, and you enjoy breakfast. I put an extra helping of veggies in yours. You are going to have to keep your strength up if you are going to be doing farm chores."

"How did you…" Ford asked.

"Wayne told me," Brad interrupted.

…

When Ford walked in, Wayne noticed he was two bags with to-go boxes from the Garden Grill. As Ford opened the bag he handed Wayne a box and said, "This one is for you and this one is for Holly."

As they sat there and ate, Ford looked out into the field at the crops that needed to be tended to and wondered how he was going to be able to handle so many. Sure he has gardened before, but he never had this many plants to tend to. As if reading his mind, Wayne offered, "Hey Ford, I have a few minutes before I have to get back on the road, why don't I water while you harvest?"

Ford let out a sign of relief and said, "That would be great, thanks."

…


	4. Chapter 4

For two weeks, Ford helped Holly around the house and farm. Occasionally he would have to leave to assist with another patient, but for the most part he spent his days with her. Every now and then another villager popped in to check up on her. To Ford's dismay, Ludus seemed to check in almost daily.

Today Ford looked at her foot and it was almost completely healed. Ford looked up at her and gave her a half-hearted smile. "You should be able to work on your feet now. Just start off slow." Holly jumped up happily and winced in pain. She started to lose her balance, but Ford caught her. He irritably mumbled, "What part of start off slow didn't you understand." He then let her go and said, "I have another patient to tend to today. Can I trust that you won't get into any more trouble?" Holly nodded. He picked up his briefcase and started out the door, when he stumbled slightly on her ripped boot that was left on the floor. He picked it up and noticed the number 8 on the bottom. He threw them out the way before making his way out the door.

…

As Holly stepped into her fields she felt at peace. She wiggled her toes in the dirt to feel the earth beneath her. This was her destiny, and she knew it. She filled up her watering can and started to work.

About an hour later, she saw Ludus walking towards her property. He waved and started to approach her. "It looks like you're feeling better," Ludas commented.

She nodded and replied, "It's still a little sore, but Ford has me back to working condition. I am grateful."

Ludas sneered at the mention of his name and asked, "Don't you think he is a little strange?"

Holly shook her head, "Nah, it takes some time to warm up to people, but he is a good person."

Ludas crossed his arms, "I just don't trust him. He seems like a jerk to me." He paused for a moment and continued, "Anyway, I should get going. I am glad to see that you are feeling better.

…

Ford looked around Mirabelle's while he waited for her to sew the last button on his new lab coat. He saw the boots he was looking at a few days ago and lifted the shoe up. On the bottom of the shoe, he saw that it was a size 8. He debated a few minutes on whether he should buy her the boots or not, but eventually gave in. He picked up the boots and carried them to the register. Mirabelle looked surprised, but she checked him out without a word.

…

Back at home, Ford looked at the boots irritably. Now that he bought her the boots, he didn't have the courage to give it to her. He paced back and forth in his practice, when he heard a bell jingle. Ford looked up at the door and noticed Wayne.

Wayne saw the lady's boots and asked, "Am I interrupting something?"

Ford shook his head and explained, "I bought these boots for Holly, but I can't bring myself to give them to her."

"I have some mail to deliver to her house. Do you want me to drop it off?" Wayne asked.

Ford nodded and said, "That would work," before placing the boots in a box, and handing them to his friend.

…

Wayne stopped at Holly's farm and knocked on the door. When no one answered, he placed the box in front of the door, and left to continue his route.

…

Around noon, Ludas made his way towards Holly's farm. Something about her just tormented him. He needed to have her. The memory of her by the pond was enough to make him go wild. He stepped up on the porch and knocked on the door. That was when he noticed the box. He picked it up to see who it was from and noticed that it didn't have an address on it.

"Hey Ludas, what are you doing here?" a girl's voice asked from behind him.

Ludas turned around with the box in his hands dumbfounded and said, "Uhhh, this is for you…"

Holly blinked in surprise and reached out to open the box. She pushed some paper out the way to find a beautiful pair of embroidered brown leather boots. Her fingers touched the beautiful embroidery in amazement and asked, "Are these for me?"

Ludas stood there with his eyes as big as a goldfish and nodded. Holly gave him a peck on the cheek and said, "Thank you so much Ludas. I needed a new pair of boots, and these are the prettiest boots I have ever seen. You are so thoughtful. She pulled them on her feet and continued, "They fit perfectly. How did you know my size?"

Ludas finally came out of his stupor and looked at these boots as an opportunity. "I took a wild guess. I saw them in the store and the beautiful flowers made me think of you. I am so happy that you like them."

Holly then asked, "Would you like to come in for some milk and cookies?"

Ludas smiled and nodded before following her into the farmhouse.

…

Ford decided to walk over to check on Holly's injury… Or, at least that was going to be his excuse. The truth was, he just wanted to see if she liked her gift. He knocked on the door and was surprised when Ludas answered.

"What are you doing here?" Ford asked. He looked past Ludas and saw Holly digging through a box for some dishes.

She looked up and noticed Ford standing in the doorway, "Hey Ford, come on in. We were just about to have cookies."

Normally Ford would have rejected the invitation, because he was always health conscious. But, today was different…He couldn't leave her alone with this blue haired freak.

He sat at the table and watched her as she poured each of them milk. He noticed she was wearing the boots and said, "They look nice on you."

Holly looked down and smiled, "Thank you, Ludas got them for me."

The hair raised on the back of his neck as he stared Ludas down. He couldn't believe that punk said that they were from him.

Ludas had a good idea who actually bought her the boots. So, he quickly finished his cookie and said, "I gotta go Holly, but thanks for the snack."

Ford let out an irritated sigh when he left. He looked at Holly and said, "I just wanted to check in on you. Is your foot any better? Holly nodded. He then continued, "Very good, I must be going. Take care."

Holly watched him as he walked away from the farmhouse. She had a feeling that something was wrong with him, but she didn't know what.

…

Ford and Wayne sat at the Garden Grill eating dinner. "How did Holly like her boots," Ford asked Wayne, knowing that Wayne didn't give the box to her.

Wayne wiped his mouth and said, "Actually, she wasn't home. So, I left it on her door step. But, they are pretty so, I am sure she like it. Why do you ask?"

Ford pushed around the food on his plate angrily and replied, "Just curious." He knew it wasn't Wayne's fault, but he still felt irritated that he didn't hand it to her directly.

…

The next day, Holly stopped by Mirabelle's to make a few deliveries. "Good Morning Mirabelle," Holly greeted.

Mirabelle pulled a box up from beneath a counter and said, "Good Morning." She looked at Holly's new boots and said, "Oh, you must be the girl Ford bought the boots for."

Holly shook her head and replied, "Ludas gave me these boots, not Ford."

Mirabelle shook her head and said, "No, I only had one pair of these in my shop, and Ford bought them yesterday."

Holly gasped in shock. If this is true, that would explain Ford's distant behavior yesterday.

She grabbed the package that Mirabelle wanted her to deliver and asked, "Who does this go to?"

"Wayne," Mirabelle said.

Holly nodded and left. She looked over to Wayne's house and shook her head. She had to apologize to Ford.

She placed the package in her backpack and headed to the clinic.

….

As she entered the clinic, she noticed Ford Standing with a medical book in his hand. He looked up from his book and shut it with one hand before saying, "Holly, how can I help you?" She walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar of his lab coat and kissed him passionately on the lips. Ford was so shocked by the action he dropped his book. He placed his hands on her waist to deepen the kiss. That was when he felt a tear drop hit his cheek. He pushed her away and said, "Holly, this is highly improper. What has gotten into you?"

Holly wiped her tears and said, "I am sorry Ford. I should have known that it was you that bought me the boots. Ludas was standing on my porch with them, so I just assumed they were a gift from him. I am such a fool."

Ford pushed her hair behind her ears and said, "It has been rather slow today. Why don't you finish your work, and join me for lunch upstairs?"

Holly, nodded and left to make her delivery.

Ford watched her leave and went upstairs to start preparing something. His heart was pounding in his chest as he thought her kiss. How could one tiny woman have such an affect on him? He then smiled and thought, 'At least she liked the boots.' He started to pull out ingredients to make pistou soup, only to discover he was fresh out of carrots. So, he picked up his wallet and left for the general store.

…

Holly stopped at the Post office to deliver a package to Wayne. Wayne was helping a customer, so she waited a moment before she approached him.

"Well, look at you and those fancy boots. Ford really picked out a beautiful pair of shoes." Wayne said.

Holly looked up in surprised, "You knew he bought them?"

Wayne chuckled a little before answering, "Of course, Who did you think they were from?"

Holly was about to answer when she saw a flash of blue walk in the door. She turned around quickly and saw Ludas. She handed Wayne the package and said, "Excuse me," before approaching Ludas. She walked directly in front of him, "How dare you tell me that these boots were from you?"

Ludas's eyes widened in surprise and said, "I meant to tell you the truth, but you were so happy…I just didn't want to disappoint you."

"Well, you did disappoint me, but for a different reason. You lied to me. After all that crap you said about how I shouldn't trust Ford, and how you thought he was a jerk…It was you who was the liar and the jerk this whole time. Don't bother me again. I will find another carpenter to fix up my house," she said before she left the post office.

"But I am the only carpenter within 100 miles," Ludas called out to her.

The door slammed and Ludas heard the clicking of a tongue. He looked over to Wayne, who said, "Smart and pretty is a deadly combination Ludas. Maybe you should find another filly to chase." Ludas slammed his package down angrily and left.

…

Ludas ran after Holly and grabbed her by the wrist, "Holly, I'm sorry."

"Let go of me," she said angrily.

"No, not until you listen to me!" He shouted as he tightened the grip on her wrists.

His shouts caught the attention of surrounding shop keepers and a doctor who just stepped out of his practice.

"Please, Ludas. Let go. You are hurting me," she said as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

Ford couldn't hear her, but he could see the way Ludas was holding her. He started to run down the cliff.

"Holly, I know that I lied to you, but Ford is not right for you. You should be with someone who can protect you. He is so scrawny, you could hardly call him a man. You deserve better." Ludas said angrily as Holly continued to struggle.

"He is more of a man than you will ever be! Now let me go you jerk!" She screamed at him.

Ludas laughed, and pulled her closer to him, "Make me….ouff…" Something ran into him, knocking him to the ground. Ludas looked up to see Ford standing in front of Holly, gasping for air.

"Ford are you alright?" Holly asked panicked.

Ford was too out of breath to answer, so Ludas got up off the ground and said, "You want a fight little nerd, you got one."

Ludas raise his fist up to strike, when he felt someone grab him by the elbow. He looked behind him to see Holly's uncle Frank. "Pick on someone your own size Ludas," he said before letting him go.

Ford reached into his pocket and pulled out an inhaler. Holly placed her hand on his back and said, "Come on, I will help you get back to your clinic."

Ford nodded and allowed her to help him. Once they had a chance to sit for a few moments Ford said, "I didn't have a chance to make us lunch."

Holly started to laugh and said, "Is that really what you are worried about right now? I can fix something if you are hungry."

Ford shook his head and asked, "Let me see your arm?"

Holly touched the spot where Ludas had grabbed her, and thought for a moment before saying. "It's fine Ford. Worry about yourself right now."

Ford shook his head and said more sternly, "show me your arm."

Holly let out an irritated sigh and started to unbutton her shirt. She took the shirt off and showed him her forearm.

Ford swallowed hard and said, "You could have just rolled up your sleeve."

"My sleeves are too tight to roll. If you would prefer, I can put on one of your shirts," Holly replied truthfully.

Once she had a t-shirt on, Ford was able to concentrate. He looked at her arm and closed his eyes angrily. 'How could Ludus do something like this to her,' he thought to himself. Now that he was having an easier time breathing, he walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a silver tray with medicine and first aid supplies in it.

Holly watched as he made some herbs and oil into a paste for her bruised skin. She looked at the deep purple color and frowned.

Once he applied the paste, she stood up and said, "Get some rest while I fix us some lunch."

Ford nodded and went to sleep.

***Ford's Dream Starts***

Ford was standing in his mother's home looking disgusted. Boxes of junk were piled up to the ceiling, beer bottles were scattered across the floor next to the sofa, and the trash can was overflowing on the floor again. Ford let out a sigh and grabbed a bag to pick up the mess once again. He started picking up the beer bottles off the floor, when he smelled smoke.

He ran to the kitchen to investigate to find it in flames.

***Ford's Dream ends***

With the smell of smoke fresh on his mind. Ford quickly got up and hurried into the kitchen. Seeing Holly in the kitchen made him lose it. He pulled her away from the oven, grabbed the fire extinguisher and sprayed it on the food.

"Ford, what are you doing?!" Holly screamed, both confused and frustrated. Holly removed the oven mitts from her hands, shoved it into Fords hands, and simply said, "I'm leaving."

Ford stood motionlessly in the kitchen, completely dumbfounded by his actions.

…

Holly made her way up to the grill. There was no way she was going to cook anymore. Wayne noticed her as she walked in and said, "Hey Holly, where's Ford?"

Holly walked straight past him, without giving him an answer. Wayne knew instantly that something happened, so he finished his meal and was about to leave, when Brad called him over,"Hey Wayne, would you deliver this to Ford for me. Holly is upset with him for some reason, but she doesn't want him to go hungry."

"I was headed over that way anyway," Wayne said, "Leave it to me."

…

When Holly arrived at the clinic, he noticed a closed sign on the door, which was unusual for Ford. He walked upstairs and found him sitting in the kitchen with his head in his hands. He looked around the kitchen and saw the oven still open and a fire extinguisher sitting next to Ford. "I take it Holly is not much of a cook," Wayne said as he sat across from Ford at the table.

Ford shook his head and replied, "There is nothing wrong with her cooking… There wasn't even a fire. I just had one of those night terrors, and I sprayed down the food with the fire extinguisher.

Ford and Wayne have been friends since they were children. So, he knew exactly the dream he meant. "I thought you were taking medicine for that."

Ford nodded and answered, "I am. But, post-traumatic stress disorder isn't that simple." Ford rubbed his temples and continues, "Holly probably thinks I am crazy after today."

Wayne smiled mischievously and agreed, "Probably, but at least we know she still cares about you."

"And, how would you know that?" Ford asked.

Wayne sat the takeout bowl on the table and said, "Because she bought this for you. I didn't look inside, but it smells like pistou soup."

Ford let out a sigh and grabbed the bowl and plastic spoon.

…


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Holly was tending to her fields when she heard her footsteps approaching her. She looked up to find Ford standing there with a cup of coffee and a pastry. He held them out to her quietly.

"What is this?" she asked curiously.

Ford crossed his arms and looked down nervously, "Consider it a peace offering," he said, "I am sorry that I ruined our lunch together yesterday."

Holly smiled and took a bite of her muffin. With a mouth full of food, she mumbled, "I graciously accept this humble offering."

Ford's face cringed momentarily which made her laugh. She swallowed her food and continued, "I forgive you. But, I would like to know what happened yesterday."

Ford swallowed hard, he knew this was coming, but he still wasn't ready for it. To her surprise, Ford sat next to her in the field and explained, "I grew up in a dysfunctional family. My mother was a compulsive hoarder and an alcoholic. My father was also an alcoholic, among other things…Let's just say he had a lot of problems. Their demons eventually led to a nasty divorce. I ended up living with my mother, while my father lived with any woman who would give him a place to sleep."

Ford paused for a moment before continuing, "One night, my mother fell asleep with a candle lit. I'm not sure what happened, but something knocked the candle over, lighting the drapes, and eventually the whole house on fire. I managed to escape, but my mother was trapped within her own filth. She died in the fire. Ever since that night, I had to take medication for post-traumatic stress disorder. It helps most of the time… But, I every now and then I have nightmares of that night. That's what happened yesterday…When you left, it woke me from my living nightmare."

Holly gasped in shock, "I am so sorry Ford. I didn't know."

"It's not your fault. But, it is hard for me to talk about my family. Besides you, Wayne is the only one who knows about my past. So, I would appreciate it if we didn't bring this up again," Ford asked.

Holly placed her head on his shoulder and said, "As you wish."

…

Things turned back to normal between Holly and Ford. With several weeks hard work, Holly managed to save up enough money to add on a kitchen to her home. However, she didn't want to ask Ludus for his help.

She suddenly felt someone sit on the couch next to her and looked up to see Ford holding two cups of tea. She smiled half heartedly and decided to ask, "Ford, do you know of any good carpenters around here?"

Ford knew why she was asking but didn't really have an answer for her. He shook his head, "No, Ludus is the only one that I know of." He paused for a moment and continued, "I know you don't want to give the creep business after he hurt you, but would it help if I came with you?"

Holly thought for a moment and shook her head, "No, I would rather you stay here in case of any medical emergencies."

"Holly, I don't want you to go alone," Ford said authoritatively.

Holly shook her head, "I won't be. I will ask Uncle Hector to come."

Ford was satisfied with her decision, so he let it go.

…

The next day, Hector and Holly headed into Lulukoko. It was a beautiful city, but Holly's heart was filled with dread at the thought of meeting with Ludus. Part of her wanted to just turn back. But, she knew that her Uncle Hector was there, so why was she so hesitant? They arrived at Ludus's business and waited patiently to be helped. Ludus approached her with a look in his eye of a predator stalking his prey. "Well, what do we have here princess? I knew you would come back to me."

"Save your crap Ludus. I just came by to pay to get my kitchen expanded." Holly said.

Holly placed the money down in front of Ludus. Ludus frowned and said, "That is not enough."  
"That is what we agreed upon." Holly argued.

Ludus countered, "Then, let's strike a new deal. I will accept this price for the expansion, if you go out to dinner with me."

Uncle Hector saw that Holly was about to lose temper, so he intervened, "How about you give my niece the price you originally agreed upon, or I will snap your arm like a twig?"

Ludus rolled his eyes and said, "Fine."

…

When Holly got back home, it was late. She walked towards the Garden Grill, hoping that there would be enough time to get a plate to go. But, before she passed the post office, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. She whipped her head around fearfully, only to discover Ford.

"Ford, you scared the crap out of me," Holly stated.

Ford apologized, and said, "You look like you were headed towards the Garden Grill. Why don't you have dinner with me instead."

Holly was exhausted, so she nodded and followed him up to his apartment above the clinic.

Holly sat at the table while Ford finished chopping fresh tomatoes for their salads. "How did the meeting with Ludas go?" Ford asked.

Holly groaned, "I don't even want to talk about it."

Ford rubbed his temples to relieve some of the pent-up stress. He then said without further thought, "Holly, why don't you stay here for a few days while your home is being renovated?"

"Why would I do that?" Holly asked.

Ford was dumbfounded by the question and quickly fumbled for an answer, "Well… construction work can throw up a lot of dust which can be harmful to your lungs, and your chances of having an accident skyrocket..." Though the truth was, he didn't trust Ludus being alone with her.

Holly thought about it for a minute and asked, "Where will I sleep?"

"You can sleep in my room. I will sleep on a cot downstairs," He explained.

Holly nodded. All his reasoning seemed practical, so she agreed. "Sure, thank you for helping me Ford. You're a true friend."

Ford smiled halfheartedly because, he was starting to think that he wanted to be more than a friend. But, how could he tell her that.

…

The next day, Ford was walking through town when he saw Hector on a horse coming towards him. From the expression on his face, he instantly knew that something happened.

"What's wrong," He asked Hector.

Hector responded, "It's Ludus, he got stuck in one of his own traps."

Ford grabbed all the supplies that he needed and got on the horse with him. They found Ludus laying near a tree by the crossroads.

Ludus screamed at Hector, "I told you to get a doctor, not this jerk."

"And, Ford told you to take down all those animal traps, yet here we are. Right now, he is currently the only doctor available. So, would you prefer to let him look at your leg, or would you like to bleed to death," Hector questioned. Ford opened Ludus's tool chest and handed hector a screwdriver. Since Hector was there to assist with holly, he knew what Ford needed him to do.

Ludas keeled over in pain, "Oh God it hurts…"

Ford placed two fingers on his neck and felt his heart racing. He looked down at Hector to see the first screw was out. Ford dug through his case for a pair of scissors, to cut off the fabric near his foot. This time, he was prepared with the alcohol, surgical equipment, and bandages.

Once Ludus was fixed enough to move, Hector and Ford helped him into the back of a wagon and brought him back to the clinic.

Ford grabbed some medicine to help with the pain. As he was fixing some tea, Ludus asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"You need something to wash the pill down," Ford replied.

Ludus shook his head and said, "No, I mean, why are you helping me?"

Ford sat the tray with the tea and pills on Ludus's lap and answered, "I may not particularly care for you, but as a doctor it would be wrong for me to reject a patient in need. The truth is, I would help you even if you were a serial killer. My job is to take care of people, not to pass judgement."

Ludus became quiet for a moment and said, "You're not such a bad guy… you know, when you're not going after my girl… I think I misjudged you."

Ford smirked and replied, "Don't worry about it," he then grabbed his brief case and continued, "We can talk about it after I have lunch with Holly."


	6. Chapter 6

Ford walked down to Holly's farm. He saw her working out in her fields. "Hey Ford, what are you doing here?" she asked curiously.

Ford nervously played with his tie and said, "I was heading to the garden grill, and I wanted to know, if you would care to join me."

"Sounds great," she said as she dusted herself off, "Just give me a moment to change and get cleaned up."

…

Holly and Ford sat at a table together. Holly looked up at Ford and noticed that he seemed tired. "Ford, how are you feeling? You look exhausted."

Ford nodded and answered, "I'm fine. There was another incident with the animal traps this morning."

"Who got hurt this time?" Holly asked.

"I am not at liberty to say due to doctor/patient confidentiality. But, it is safe to say that after today there will definitely be no more animal traps in the area." Ford explained.

Holly gasped and asked, "It wasn't a child was it?"

Ford shook his head.

Holly grabbed his hand across the table and smiled, "Ford, you are an incredible doctor. Our town is so blessed to have you." Holly reached her hand up to brush the bangs out of his face. Ford's heart started to pound with anticipation, as Holly leaned in close. At that moment, Carrie brought out their dinners, and said, "Well don't you two look like a couple of peas in a pod."

Ford turned beet red, while Holly looked down at the food placed in front of her. Holly could tell that Ford was uncomfortable, so she decided to change the conversation, "Wow, the pizza smells extraordinary tonight. Let's dig in."

…

After dinner, Ford ordered a salad for his irritating patient, back at the clinic. Holly looked deep in thought, so he nudged her to see what he was thinking.

Holly jumped at the interaction, and apologized, "I'm sorry Ford. I was just wondering what happened to Ludus. He was supposed to start working on my house today. I hope he didn't just take my cash and ran with it.

Ford almost choked on his drink and replied, "Somehow, I don't think Ludus is going to be running for a long time."

Holly was puzzled by his response but didn't question it. She figured his vague response had something to do with the doctor and patient confidentiality thing he mentioned earlier.

Ford walked Holly home. When they got to her doorstep, Holly turned to face Ford, "Thanks for dinner. We should do this again sometimes."

Ford nodded and replied, "We should…"

There was a slight pause before Holly stood up on her tippy toes, and gave him a peck on the cheek. She then walked into her house and shut the door.

Ford stood there frozen for about a minute, he placed his hand on his cheek and smiled before making his way back to the hospital.

When Ford entered the clinic, he walked behind the curtain to check on his patient, only to find an empty bed.

Ford's face went pale, as he walked around the clinic to search for him. Suddenly, he heard some voices out back. He walked out the back door to see his father and Ludus smoking an unknown substance. He quickly snatched away the smoke from them both. He then said to them both, "I don't know how you got here, but you need to lay back down," pointing to Ludus. He then turned to his father and continued, "And you, need to leave town."

"But, my boy. I just got here," His father said to him.

Ludus grabbed the bottle next to his leg and took a swig, ready for the show.

Ford snatched the bottle away from him. He held his hand out to his father, who he knew also had one. His father begrudgingly gave it to him. Ford noticed town folks started to look in their direction and said, "Both of you, get inside."

Inside he made Ludus sit in his bed while he talked to his father, "What are you doing here?"

"Can't a father just come visit his son, no questions asked?" The father said.

"Sure, a father could. Just not my father. Now what do you want?" Ford replied.

His father sighed and said, "I am out of money, and I have no place to stay or eat. There are some dealers coming after me, and I need a place to lay low. Could I stay here for a few days, until this all blows over."

"I'm sorry, but no. I have established a life here… a good one. I will not bring you back into my life, just so you can ruin it again." Ford said authoritatively.

"Son these people are dangerous. They will stop at nothing to kill me. I just need a few days," his father begged.

"No, grab some food from the fridge and get out," Ford answered.

His father still tried to convince him, "How about some money for a hotel? You're a doctor. You got plenty of dough."

Ford shook his head and said, "You will just use it for drugs, and I will be damned if I am the reason you overdose. Now grab some food and get the hell out of my clinic, and out of my life."

After his father left, Ludus said, "Well…Well…Well…It looks like the doctor has a past."

Ford looked at Ludus threateningly and said, "I would stay out of it if I were you."

"And, if I don't?" Ludus asked.

Ford let out an irritated sigh, "Look, because you decided to smoke some random substance, I am going to have to monitor you all night. It is going to be a long night for both of us, so please refrain from being an asshole." He then walked over to the microscope to investigate what the two were smoking.

Ludus laid back with his arms crossed, "Fine."

…

A few days later, Holly was walking towards the general store, when a man bumped into her. "Excuse me," he said before continuing to wherever he was going.

"Excuse me," She called back.

She walked into the general store and greeted, "Good Morning, Mirabelle."

"Good Morning, Holly. What can I do for you today?" Mirabelle asked.

Holly smiled and said, "Can I have 5 packs of tomato seeds and 5 packs of corn?"

Mirabelle smiled and replied, "Certainly," she then went to the back to retrieve the seeds.

Holly reached into her pocket for her wallet, only to discover it was gone. She then started to check her other pockets and look around on the floor for it.

Mirabelle came out from the back with the seed packs and said, "The corn seeds are on sale today. So, it will only be 3,200G."

Holly bowed in embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry, but could you put those to the side for a little while, I think I lost my wallet on the way here."

"Okay, honey. It will be here when you return," Mirabelle replied.

Holly started to retrace her steps looking up and down the streets. Wayne noticed her looking for something along the road. He approached her and asked, "Holly, can I help you with something."

"Oh, Thank god Wayne. I appear to have lost my wallet on the way to the store. If you could keep an eye out for it while you are making your rounds, I would appreciate it," Holly replied.

"Sure, but what have you done up to the point where you lost your wallet? That could help us narrow things down," Wayne asked.

"I walked straight from my house to Mirabelle's. The only time I stopped, was when I accidentally bumped into that guy," Holly explained.

"Who did you bump into?" Wayne asked.

Holly shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. I never saw him before today. He was an older man…tall, with gray hair, and violet eyes. He was wearing a plaid shirt and black slacks…I think." She paused for a moment and joked, "He kind of looked like an older, more relaxed version of Ford."

Wayne grabbed his hat and leaned back to stretch, "Well, I will let you know if I come across it."

"Please, I have been saving that money for weeks to be able to plant a summer crop," She said.

Wayne tipped his hat, and started heading straight for Ford's home.

…

Ford had been up all night for the past couple days due to horrible night terrors. Ludus looked the doctor up and down and said, "You look like shit. Did Holly dump you or something?"

Ford ignored Ludus's comment and started to make breakfast when he heard the bell on the door ring. He looked over to see Wayne standing there fidgeting nervously. "If you are out of your migraine medicine, you know I will give you a few pills to hold you over until you can pay for it. You don't have to look so tense about it," Ford said.

Wayne took off his hat and explained in a lowered voice, "No, it's not that." He then whispered, "Has your father been into town lately?"

Ford placed both hands on the counter and looked down, "What did he do," he asked in a defeated voice.

"Well, I don't know for sure, but I think he may have pickpocketed Holly. She is retracing her steps right now trying to find her wallet," Wayne explained.

Ford turned off the stove and handed Ludus his breakfast. He turned to Wayne and asked, "Could you stay here for about 20 minutes? I think I know where he went?"

Wayne nodded, "Sure."

…

Ford grabbed his wallet and headed to a near by saloon. Ford walked in and saw his father playing poker across the room. He walked up to him and said, "Father, can I speak to you for a moment?"

His father looked up at him and said, "Sure, why not. My cards stink this round anyway." He threw his cards on the table and followed his son out the saloon. "Did you change your mind about helping me?" he asked.

Ford grabbed his father's shirt with both hands, "Where's Holly's wallet?"

"Whose Holly," his father asked.

"Holly is the name of the girl you pickpocketed earlier. Now where is it?" Ford said angrily.

"Geez, since when did you grow a back bone…What's the big deal? It was only about 7000 G." His father asked.

Ford rolled his eyes and said, "I will give you 3000 G to give me that wallet right now."

"No way, I just told you it had 7000 G in it," his father argued.

"And I am willing to bet you smoked, gambled, and drank at least 5000 away already," Ford countered.

His fathered growled, his son was too smart for his own good. "Fine," he said. He pulled the wallet out of his pocket and took the remaining money in the wallet and put it away. He handed the wallet out to his son, who paid him the 3000 G."

Before Ford left, he gave one final warning, "Don't you ever go near her again."

"What's the big deal with this girl? You shacking up with her or something?" his father asked.

"That's none of your business," he replied before heading back into town.

…

Ford dug in his wallet and placed 8,000 G into hers. He wasn't sure exactly how much his father had stolen, but he wanted to make sure that she wasn't short."

Ford headed back to her farm and saw her picking blueberries hurriedly. Her eyes were red and puffy, so she was either crying or had a bad allergy to blueberries. Ford was betting on the first. Ford walked up to her and said, "Here, I found it."

Holly looked up and smiled, "Oh, thank god," she said as she looked inside to see some money. She didn't bother counting it, figuring that if anyone took money out, they would have taken it all.

She threw her arms around him and started to cry into his shirt. Ford, was confused by this action and stood there stiff as a board.

Holly hiccupped and said, "Thank you so much for finding it. I was on my way to the general store to buy seeds when it vanished. After I couldn't find it, I have been scavenging for anything I can sell." She reached her hands into her pockets to show that they were full of nuts and berries.

Ford slowly and cautiously wrapped his arms around her. His gesture must have been well received, because she pulled him even closer. Finally, Ford gets the courage to ask her the question that has been bothering him for weeks, "Holly, what do you think about you and me?"

"I think we are great friends," Holly answered honestly, "Why do you ask?"

Ford swallowed nervously and continued, "Holly, do you ever think we could be more than just friends?"

Holly smiled and wiped away the tears from earlier. She nodded and answered, "Yes, I would love that." She then moved her arms up his torso, wrapped them around his neck, and gave him a kiss.

Ford blushed, and nervously said, "Great… Would you join me at my place for dinner tonight?"

She let go of him and nodded, before he turned around and headed back to the clinic.

In the distance, a man was watching them close.

'So, that's why Ford was so upset with me,' Ford's father thought to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

…

Ford returned to the clinic in a much better mood. Wayne saw the smile on his face and taunted, "Somebody got a kiss!"

Ludus sat straight up in his bed and said, "He got what."

Ford rolled his eyes and said, "It is rude to make assumptions."

"It's not an assumption when there is lipstick on your face," Wayne said jokingly.

When Ford tried to wipe the nonexistent lipstick off, he unintentionally told on himself.

"Dude, it was on the mouth too?!" Wayne said excitedly.

Ludus, was steadily getting angrier. "How dare you touch my woman?" He said before trying to get out the bed. His knee buckled before he could even get one leg out the bed.

Wayne joked, "Somehow, I think Ford prefers you this way."

Ludas crossed his arms angrily and said, "Don't worry, there is more than one way to skin a doctor."

Ford ignored Ludus and said, "I won't make it to the grill tonight."

Wayne smiled and replied, "That's alright, I will just hang out at the bar with Brad tonight. I gotta finish delivering the mail, so I will talk to you tomorrow.

Ford waved him off and walked over to the tea pot on the table next to Ludus. He grabbed the tea pot and said, "This is the only tea pot I have, so you will have to share it with us tonight."

Ludus nodded and seemed to ignore him for a while. Little did Ford know as he placed the tea pot back on the table, that Ludus was formulating a plan.

…

As Ford cooked dinner upstairs, Ludus looked at the bottle labels on the nearby shelves. 'tea tree oil, Epsom salt, headache powder, baby formula, digestive relief blend, truth powder…' he read down the line. When Ludus saw the truth powder serum, he turned the bottle around and read, 'blend two tablespoons with 8 ounces of water. Consumption of mixture will make emotions more powerful and cause difficulties silencing one's thoughts. For best effect, use within 4 hours of mixing.' Ludus smiled and poured a generous amount into the tea pitcher. He then placed the bottle back into the shelf and waited.

…

Holly arrived about 30 minutes later. She greeted Ludus at the door, and asked, "Is Ford upstairs?"

Ludus nodded, and asked, "Holly, would you mind bringing him this tea upstairs. I accidentally stepped on one of those animal traps."

"Ah, so it was you," she said, "No problem, we will bring you a tray of food as soon as it is ready."

Ludus nodded as she carried the tea up the steps.

…

Holly saw Ford pulling some fish with vegetables out the oven. "It smells wonderful," she said as she placed the tea on the counter. She reached up to where Ford kept the cups and poured him a glass before pouring herself one. Ford took a sip of his tea and smiled, "so do you."

Holly giggled a little at his response and said, "I think I will go set the table."

While Holly worked on fixing the table, Ford reprimanded himself, 'so do you?... What are you saying? Are you trying to make her think you're crazy?'

Ford fixed a plate and a glass of tea for Ludus. He placed it on a tray and carried it downstairs to his bed. Ludus looked at him with a smile and asked, "How is the date going?"

Ford raised an eyebrow skeptically, "fine?"

"Not for long," Ludus mumbled before digging into his food. Ford ignored his comment and went back upstairs to find Holly acting peculiar.

Holly was sitting at the table swirling the tea around her glass and asked, "Ford, how can you drink this stuff. It tastes like shit." Ford was thrown off slightly by her bluntness, but replied, "You don't have to drink it, if you don't like it. However, it does have cinnamon in it, which is natural aphrodisiac. I thought it would make me seem more desirable." After he spoke, he instantly put his hand in front of his mouth. 'What is wrong with me? Why would I say something like that,' he thought to himself, 'Oh god, this is embarrassing.'

Holly tried to ignore his last comment and simply made a glass of water. She could tell that Ford was increasingly becoming uncomfortable and said, "Ford, you don't need to use aphrodisiacs to attract me. Just a single look in your eyes is enough to make me want to claim your lips as my own." She walked towards him, and gently pressed her lips against his.

As much as Ford wanted to enjoy this, he knew that something was wrong. Holly had always been forward with him, but this was strange, even for her. Ford excused himself and went down the stairs to look at the shelf of medicines. He noticed that one medicine bottles backwards on the shelf. He being the neat freak he was, he knew that he didn't do it. He turned the bottle around and saw that it was the truth powder. He turned to Ludus and said, "You did this."

Ludus smiled and said, "Yes, but unfortunately I forgot I that I spiked the whole pot and took a sip with dinner."

"How much of this did you put in the tea pot?" Ford asked.

Ludus shrugged and answered, "1/4 a bottle or so."

Ford's eyes got wide, and he returned upstairs to dump the rest of the tea down the drain. Holly came up from behind him and hugged him from behind. She started to kiss his neck and whispered, "I think the aphrodisiac is working."

Ford turned around and noticed, that she unbuttoned a few buttons on her shirt. It took everything in his power to say, "Stop."

Holly stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Ludus spiked the tea. It made our feelings stronger, and our thoughts nearly uncontrollable. I will fix you a plate to take home, but you must leave before we both do or say something we are going to regret," Ludus explained.

Holly frowned and asked, "Can't we ever have a day together without any misunderstandings or disruptions?" Holly covered her face with her hands and started to cry.

Ford placed his hands on her shoulders and replied, "We will, but just not today." He fixed her a plate of food and walked her to the front door. Suddenly, she started to grow tired, and muttered "I am so sleepy all of a sudden."

Ford nodded, "Patients generally get tired as the serum weakens. I'll walk you home. Thank god you didn't drink more than a sip."

Just as she was about to leave, Ludus saw her slightly unbuttoned blouse and said, "Holly, seeing this much of you makes me want to watch you strip again."

Ford turned around in anger and asked, "You did what?"

Holly grabbed his wrist and said, "Don't jump to conclusions. Come with me."

Ford gazed back at Ludus, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat, before following Holly out the door.

Outside the door, Holly said, "Now we can do this two ways, I can tell you what he meant now, while your emotions are completely out of whack, and risk you killing Ludus. Or, I could explain it to you tomorrow morning, after the serum's effects have worn off completely. Regardless of what you decide, I suggest you have Wayne spend the night, to prevent any unfortunate events."

Ford let out an irritated sigh, he wanted to know now, but knew it was probably not the best action. He started to walk towards the farm, and Holly followed, feeling uncertain about his reaction to the situation.

By the time they reached the farm, Ford was literally shaking. Holly couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his hand and said, "I will tell you what happened tonight, if you promise to stay with me until the serum wears off tomorrow."

Ford drank a whole glass, and the thoughts in his head were maddening. He knew that until the truth serum wore off, he should probably stay with someone. He nodded and followed her into the farm house.

She sat him on the bed, and then sat next to him, "As you already know, my house doesn't have a kitchen or a bathroom yet. So, every morning, when I wake up I go down to the pond to take a bath." Holly paused and looked at Ford to gauge his response to her. He stopped shaking and seemed to be getting sleepy. She snuggled up against him and continued, "One evening, after working out in the fields. I went down to the pond to bathe. I took off my clothes and got into the water, when I heard something move. It was Ludus. I quickly covered myself up and asked him to leave."

Ford was so tired, he was leaning on her for support. But, he was relieved that the incident was completely innocent…at least on her end. Holly knew that he was exhausted, so she laid him back on the bed, took off his shoes, and snuggled into him.

Before he fell completely asleep, he said, "Please, don't use the pond anymore. You can use the shower in the clinic until you get a bathroom built."

She smiled and replied, "Sure. Just get some sleep."


End file.
